Thursday, January 26, 2012

We have gotten our share of snow here in Pittsburgh recently, but I have not ventured out to photograph it. For now, I am staying inside, staying warm, and going through some of my old files. This is a photo I took last spring near Wheatland, WY, not too long before we moved. I like how the masses of snow seem to undulate around the edges of the water.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

I may have a rabbit collection from when I was a child, and I may have unpacked them all into the cradle and yes, I may have snuggled my baby in the middle of them. But aren't they all cute together?

Wyle is nearly 6 weeks old and I can hardly believe it. She is growing so quickly - she is already nearing 10 lbs - and is awake more and more. She has started really seeing things around her, and it is fun to watch her learning about her environment, like tracking the rattle as I move it in front of her face, and staring at the pictures I have hung above her changing table. She is also sleeping slightly longer stretches at night, thank goodness! I am hoping we get to 5-6 hour stretches soon. She is like a little puzzle. When she does cry, we have to figure out what is wrong. Usually it is obvious, like she needs to be changed or is hungry. But sometimes, she doesn't know what is wrong and neither do we. We have been fumbling through parenthood and we seem to figure out more each day. It is a lot to digest, but we learn one thing at at time, just like Wyle.

P.S. - Isn't that outfit adorable? My mom made it, and, you may notice, there is a rabbit on the shirt! My mom loves to sew, and if you like quilting, you should check out her Flickr.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

I have watched the movie "Faster" three times in as many weeks, and though it's a fun revenge flick, it is all the driving (as the name implies) through the open country of Nevada and Eastern California that I can't get enough of. It reminds me of road trips Brian and I would take from Wyoming to California. It would take an entire day to get across Utah and Nevada, and the emptiness would seem endless. But right now I am remembering it with such fondness, wishing I could look through the windshield and see nothing ahead but a ribbon of highway, bounded on one side by snow capped mountains, with the occasional wind farm reaching toward the sky and scrubby brush dotting the plains. I dug around in my files and found this image I took on one such road trip - in Utah or Nevada, I can not remember - and it brought a smile to my face.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Well, here we are again, at the start of another year. 2011 went by so quickly for me, I think because there was just so much happening with our move from Wyoming to Pittsburgh, and also because I spent 9 months of it pregnant and had my first baby. I barely had time to think about anything else. Despite that, I managed to get some good photos, just not as many as I would have liked. I made a real effort to take the photos of Wyoming that I had been thinking about before we left. You'll notice there are a lot of cows in this year's selections...that's because there are SO many cows in Wyoming, and because I was lucky enough to go on a cattle drive at a friend's ranch. That was really an incredible experience, and a lovely way to really celebrate my time in the West. I also did my share of deer stalking, both in Wyoming and in Pennsylvania, as you can see. I tried a few more self-portraits and of course found a few subjects for my macro lens to enjoy. All in all I'm pretty happy with 2011, the parts of it that weren't a blur.

I think this year will be about finding a new normal - new place, new house, new baby. I won't be able to spend half of every day working on my photography, but I will be glad to spend it with Wyle, relearning how to live in the moment as she does. I'm going to have to learn to be ok with reduced productivity in my photography. It will equal out to being a productive mom, I know. I think I'm going to have to learn how to be more flexible in my daily life as well. I have always liked my own schedule, but I'm on Wyle's schedule, now. So I guess my only New Year's Resolution is to go with the flow. Whatever I get done, I get done (do you hear that, dirty dishes?) and whatever doesn't, doesn't. May God grant me the peace of mind to accept that every day!

What does this year hold for you? I hope it is everything you imagine it can be.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Well, here she is! Wyle Katherine Beyer came to us on December 13th of last year. Even though life now revolves around feedings and diaper changes, part of me still can't believe she is here. I heard someone compare their feelings on the birth of their first child to how the Grinch feels at the end of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," like their heart grew three sizes that day. That's exactly how I felt the first time I heard her immediately after delivery. I always wondered how that feeling was possible, and I guess I still don't know HOW your heart can feel like that, but I am here to attest that it does.

I think I could adequately title this post "What I Accomplished in 2011," as this is a time of year for reflection and it is hard to remember what else I did but be pregnant, but I think I will save that for another time. I want to share my best photos of 2011, and I hope to get to that soon. I think slowly I will begin to blog more and I hope to reopen the shop in a week or two. I miss taking photos and sharing them here with you, so hopefully you'll be seeing more of me soon. Until then, I will try not to bombard you with photos of Wyle, but I can't make any promises :)

I try to find beauty in the everyday, primarily through my photography, which I share here. I also try to keep my brain thinking creatively every day, even if the rest of me is not in the mood, so the posts here are as much for me as they are for you.